Three arrested for human sacrifice bid in Bengal

Three people, including a woman, were arrested from West Bengal's Birbhum district for allegedly attempting human sacrifice, police said Sunday.

The incident happened Saturday night in Barunighata village of the district, some 240 km from Kolkata.

"We arrested three people, including a woman who practises witchcraft, for attempting human sacrifice," a police officer said.

According to police, Samrat Maal, seeking to resolve marital discord, had approached the woman, who told him that a resolution of his problems was possible if tantric rituals that required the head of a human being were performed.

Maal was also told that Saturday was an auspicious day for human sacrifice, being Kali Puja day.

In his attempt to attack a man from the village, Maal and an accomplice were caught by villagers who later handed him to the police.